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Have your say on planned new cycle path

Published
Gloucestershire County Council is inviting residents to give their views on the next section of a planned new walking and cycling route between Cheltenham and Bishop’s Cleeve.

Work on the first section of the A435 Cycleway, between the Honeybourne Line and Cheltenham Racecourse Roundabout, got under way last year and is expected to finish in winter 2024.

Section 2 will deliver walking and cycling improvements alongside the A435 Evesham Road between Cheltenham Racecourse Roundabout and Bishop's Cleeve, including the GE Roundabout. The work is being split into two phases:

  • Phase 1: Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) Bridge to GE Roundabout, Bishop’s Cleeve. Construction will begin in summer 2024. This work has been timed to coincide with urgent ground stabilisation work directly south of the rail bridge following recent ground movement.
  • Phase 2: Cheltenham Racecourse Roundabout to GWSR Bridge. The designs for this section are currently under development and will be made available later this year.

The A435 walking and cycling route, when finished, will link into Section 1 and connect Bishop’s Cleeve directly to the Honeybourne Line and Cheltenham Railway Station. It also forms part of the proposed 26-mile cycle spine linking Stroud to Bishop’s Cleeve, via Gloucester and Cheltenham.

The scheme will help the county council’s aims of becoming carbon net zero by 2045, as well as improving access to homes, employment, education and transport hubs. It will see significant improvements in the cycling and walking network being delivered across the county, to support a greener Gloucestershire.

A public drop-in event on the plans for Section 2 Phase 1 (GSWR Bridge to Bishop’s Cleeve) of the A435 Cycleway scheme is taking place at Cheltenham Tigers Rugby Club, Southam Lane, Southam GL52 3PE on Thursday 25 January from 10am-7.30pm.

It will provide an opportunity to meet the project team, view details of the plans and provide feedback.

If you cannot attend or wish to view the information online, all details of the scheme are available on the webpage www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/highways/a435cycleway, where you can also sign up to regular scheme bulletin updates.

An online survey will be available on the webpage for six weeks from 25 January 2024 to 7 March 2024, giving you the chance to comment on walking and cycling improvements between Cheltenham and Bishop’s Cleeve.

Hedgerow relocation and replanting

In order to facilitate the new cycleway and footway, it is necessary to relocate approximately 1km of hedgerow on the east side of A435 Evesham Road from the current highway boundary to the new highway boundary further east.

Relocation and replanting of the existing hedgerow will begin in February 2024, in advance of the bird nesting season and the start of construction works in summer 2024. This includes relocating approximately 1km of hedgerow from the current highway boundary to the new highway boundary, to facilitate the new cycleway and footway.

The relocation and replanting of the hedgerow will involve the transplanting of some of the existing hedgerow species. The existing hedgerow is made up of both native and non-native species, which as a consequence does not support biodiversity in the best way. In building the cycleway, the opportunity has been taken to not only relocate the hedgerow but in doing so only to transplant those species which are native to the UK and then strengthen the relocated hedge with the introduction of new UK native/non-invasive species rich mix of shrubs and trees. This will provide an improved hedgerow over time, both visually and in terms of biodiversity and benefits to a wide range of wildlife species. A species-rich mix is defined as one containing six or more species and may include: Hawthorn, Field Maple, Guelder Rose, Hazel, Spindle, Crab Apple, Holly and Honeysuckle.

The hedgerow species selected will support a wider range of biodiversity than the existing non-native species. Species will be chosen in collaboration with an ecologist and adjacent landowners (where for example species possibly poisonous to livestock will be omitted). We will look to enhance the hedges with trees where this is appropriate. The relocation and replanting of the new hedgerow will begin in February 2024.

Cllr David Gray, cabinet member for environment and planning, said: “It’s great news that work on the A435 Cycleway is progressing. This route linking Cheltenham and Bishop’s Cleeve is an essential part of the wider 26-mile cycle spine we’re building across the county to create a greener Gloucestershire. It will also help to encourage people to use more sustainable methods of transport and reduce carbon emissions from vehicles.

“The drop-in event will provide an opportunity for residents and businesses to find out more about this latest phase of the plans, so I would encourage anyone interested to attend.”